[sammygayle]

HERITAGE VILLAGE in CT

I noticed that there may be alternative 55+ communities with similar or lower unit purchase costs that provide similar amenities with a lower HOA fee- We would prefer a community within 2 to 21/2 hr drive to NYC or close to public transportation to get to NYC

We would appreciate all referrals/ web links you can provide

Thank you

[JayCT]

I find Heritage Village to be pretty affordable. I am not sure how much cheaper you would expect to find. Most alternatives like Oxford Green in Oxford or Oronoque Village in Stratford are more expensive. Jay

[hvexpatinct]

You might find lower HOA fees elsewhere, but the price of entry is higher and the amenities aren't as comprehensive.

A lot of snowbirds used to buy in Artillery Hill in Watertown because of the pool and tennis courts, plus good access to the local golf courses, but it isn't age restricted. The HOA fees are definitely lower - maybe in the low $300s?

[basehead617]

There are Heritage Village units as low as $60,000 for a 2 bedroom. The HoA almost doesn't matter for something that cheap!

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by sammygayle

HERITAGE VILLAGE in CT

I noticed that there may be alternative 55+ communities with similar or lower unit purchase costs that provide similar amenities with a lower HOA fee- We would prefer a community within 2 to 21/2 hr drive to NYC or close to public transportation to get to NYC

We would appreciate all referrals/ web links you can provide

Thank you

I went through finding a condo for my mom and dad 20 years ago. We looked at Heritage Village but it was too far for me as I live in Trumbull. I didn't realize the fees where so high in Heritage Village. They appear to be about $500 to $600. They live in Monroe in the senior condos but there is no pool, tennis court etc.

There are some condos in Trumbull that are not technically for seniors but mostly 55+ adults/seniors live in them. They have a pool and Tennis court and are across the street from Trumbull's town hall/Stop & Shop area. It's not hard to get into NYC. It takes my husband and I about 1-1/4 hour to get into NYC on a good ride via the Parkway during non-rush hour. Trumbull is not that far from the metro north trains in Fairfield. One way takes about 1-1/2 hours including the ride to the train station.

Here is a 2 bedroom and the fee is $278.
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/...e/pid_16438868

You can also get a 1 bedroom 900 sf for about $200,000 but there are no available right now.

There are other condos across the street that are really nice but they have no pool or tennis courts. But the town is going to vote on a senior center/community center right near the town hall within walking distance that will have 2 indoor pools with all kinds of amenities for seniors. I think the town is voting on it this September.

Here are the senior condos. They will be a 5 minute walk to the new center if built. Assoc fee is $225.
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/...ce/pid_6297915

If the senior/community center gets built I am sure the value of both condos near the town hall will go up pretty high. They both will be a 5 minute walk to the center. Here are some proposed plans.
http://www.trumbull-ct.gov/filestora...19%2C_2017.pdf

[JayCT]

The OP needs to clarify what exactly they are looking for. We need to know their price range, size requirements and the amenities they would like to have. We would also need to know how much HOA fee they can tolerate. Heritage Village has one of the highest HOA fees around but I think that is because they have a lot of amenities. To get lower fees, they may have to sacrifice amenities. Their call. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by basehead617

There are Heritage Village units as low as $60,000 for a 2 bedroom. The HoA almost doesn't matter for something that cheap!

Of course it does. A mortgage can be paid off. HOA fees cannot (and they usually rise).

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Of course it does. A mortgage can be paid off. HOA fees cannot (and they usually rise).

Inflation of the taxes and fees is what gets seniors years down the road. Now that I am looking into places for retirement myself that is a big factor.

[CTartist]

Now I remember why Heritage Village has such high fees. It has it's own golf course or maybe two of them.

[jdhall1]

There are some affordable units in the Danbury/Brookfield/New Milford area that are not age restricted. I would stay in Danbury and Brookfield something affordable would be between $130,000 and $160,000, New Milford $110,000 to $140,000.